Simi: From church choir to self-engineered songstress | Watch (msn.com)
Friday, April 26, 2024
End of the Month News.
The Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the Trump immunity claim. Trump has no basis for his immunity claim. No President has the right to have unlimited power to do what he or she wants regardless of if he or she is President or not in office. Clarence Thomas shouldn't judge this case as having a conflict of interests via his wife. His wife was involved in the conspiracy to try to steal the 2020 election. Justices Kagan and Jackson made great points that the President has no authoritarian edict to escape accountability if they violate constitutional law. Presidents are not immune from prosecution if that President tries to overthrow the government or commit felonious actions against the American people. In other words, a President can't murder innocent people or rape a person. There are limits to Presidential powers as proven by the separation of powers (there are three co-equal branches of government as outlined by the Constitution). The Supreme Court recently has gutted voting rights, ended affirmative actions in universities, and made other reactionary decisions.
David Pecker testified that what the Nation Enquirer was doing was unlawful. Donald Trump continues to have his New York criminal hush money trial. Pecker was the ex-publisher of the magazine. Also, he was questioned by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass and then cross-examined by Trump's attorney Emil Bove. Pecker said that he helped broker with adult film star Stormy Daniels and the tabloid's operations for suppressing negative stories about Trump, so they wouldn't influence the 2016 election. Prosecutors accuse Trump of taking part in an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of that election, which included the payment of Daniels.
It is important to celebrate the life of my late 3rd cousin Doretha Williams Grinnard. She lived from February 20, 1939, to April 10, 2024. We share the same ancestor as Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Her parents were Theodore Lewis Williams (1906-1993) and Ethel Lena Gilliam (1911-2001). Theodore Lewis Williams's parent was Peter Percy Williams (1880-1949). Peter Percy Williams's mother was Adaline Hill (1862-1930). Adaline's Hill's parents were Tom Hill and Sarah Claud. Sarah Claud's mother was my 5th great grandmother Zilphy Claud. Doretha Williams Grinnard was a hard-working woman and a religious woman who faithfully believed in God. She grew up in the rural area of Southampton County, Virginia where many of my maternal relatives are from. She was a member of Bryant's Baptist Church in Courtland, Virginia. Doretha graduated from Southampton County Training School in 1959. Later, she married Thomas Grinnard being a couple for 64 years. Doretha worked in New York at the Federbush Loose-leaf Building Company. She worked in New York City to be a worker for 20 years in the City of New York Department of Social Services. Doretha and Thomas worshipped God in Deer Lake, New York and at Union Baptist Missionary Church in Suffolk, Virginia. Doretha and Thomas Grinnard have three daughters whose names are Michele Grinnard Hite, Toni Grinnard, and Tanya Grinnard. Their two grandchildren are Dominique Hite and Christian Reed. Doretha Williams Grinnard's siblings are: James Williams, Fred Williams, Theodore Williams, Douglas Williams, Hattie Pope, Ethel Easter, Nannie Rollins, Sadie Hill, Katie Flythe, Brenda Tillery, John Williams, and Marvin Williams.
During the protests at Columbia University, the House Speaker Republican Mike Johnson called on the school President to resign. He had a tense news conference when the crowd repeatedly interrupted him and at times loudly booed him and other GOP lawmakers. Columbia has extended negotiations with student activists over the dismantling of the pro-Palestinian encampment. The University said that it will extend its hybrid model via final exams. The pro-Palestinians have spread nationwide. State troopers in riot gear started to break up a group of protesters at the University of Texas at Austin after a demonstration on Wednesday. The University of Southern California has closed its gates and required individuals who need access to its campus to present identification. USC has also canceled its public graduation ceremony. Similar protests are in Boston, Atlanta, and at Ohio State University. The truth is that anti-Semitism should be condemned universally, but peaceful protest that promotes a ceasefire, Palestinian human rights, and peace for Israelis and Palestinians is not anti-Semitism.
My 3rd cousin Nannie Vivian Williams Rollins was born on February 18, 1936, in Southampton County, Virginia. Her parents were Theodore Lewis Williams (1906-1993) and Ethel Lena Gilliam (1911-2001). He married William Henry Rollins Sr. (1933-2018) in 1958 in New York City. The couple had many children who are: Evelyn Rollins Gaines, Michael Rollins, Sharon M. Rollins, William H. Rolins Jr., and Pamela Rollins. Nannie Vivian Williams's grandfather was Peter Percy Williams (1880-1949). Peter Percy Williams's mother was Adeline Hill (1862-1930). Adaline Hill's parents were Sarah Claud and Tom Hill (1838-1915). Sarah Claud's mother was my 5th great-grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893).
By TImothy
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Late April 2024 News.
Pro-Palestinian protesters are still at Columbia University in New York City. Columbia University has made classes virtual now. There are more protests at the universities of Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, and New York University. The protests come among many controversies. The epidemic of anti-Semitism on college campuses is real, but some want to falsely equate dissent with Israeli governmental policy with anti-Semitism. That is wrong as some of the greatest dissenters of Israeli governmental policy are Jewish people. Also, there is the conflict in Gaza that resulted in the destruction of thousands of Palestinians' lives, the lives of aid workers, and the displacement of over 2 million Palestinians. This reality hasn't stopped the spread of Hamas, and Hamas is wrong for killing and raping Israelis on October 7, 2023. Many of the protesters want divestment, a ceasefire, and an end to the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. Anti-Semitism is deplorable (and many anti-Semitic incidents have existed in many colleges in America. That is wrong period), but the vast majority of the Palestinian advocates on college campuses aren't anti-Semites. Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine explicitly condemns hatred and bigotry of Jewish human beings as we all do. Freedom of speech and the right to dissent are democratic values that must be protected not suppressed by university institutions.
Day Five of the Trump criminal trial involving hush money has been concluded. Both the prosecution and the defense issued opening statements. The prosecution accused Donald Trump of being involved in a criminal conspiracy and cover-up. The defense disagrees with that assumption. The first witness testified. He is David Pecker or the ex-publisher of the National Enquirer. He resumed his testimony on Tuesday. Pecker was a central person in the alleged hush money scheme to suppress negative information about Trump before the 2016 election. The judge ruled on Monday that he will allow Trump to be asked about the civil fraud and the E. Jean Carroll verdicts, among other past cases, if he testifies. The judge will decide on issuing Trump a gag order very soon. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told the jurors that Trump was involved in a criminal scheme to try to corrupt the 2016 Presidential election. Defense attorney Todd Blanche said that Trump is innocent, claiming that there was nothing illegal about signing non-disclosure agreements or trying to influence an election. The trial will continue.
One World War II veteran part of the Historic 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion is retired Air Force Major Fannie Griffin McClendon. She now lives in Temple, Arizona. She is now over 100 years old. Being humble is part of her personality. When she was 19 years old, she enlisted in the United States Army. Back then, her work changed the whole world. The Battalion was made up of about 855 black women who went to England and France to fight fascism during World War II. "To be able to be over in Europe and all and see the things that I had studied about over the years – really quite enlightening," McClendon said. The motto of the organization was "no mail, low morale." McClendon was the first woman commander of an all-men squadron with the Strategic Air Command. Her late husband was Roy.
There is more information found about my late 3rd cousin Virginia Dare Bynum (1938-1977). We are descendants of my 5th great-grandmother Zilphy Claud. Her daughter was Sarah Claud. Sarah Claud married Tom Hill, and their daughter was Adeline Hill (1862-1930). Adeline Hill (1897-1946) married Dupie Nehemiah Bynum (1892-1947) on February 2, 1911, in Southampton County, Virginia. Their children are John Henry Bynum (1911-1979), Nello Bynum (1913-1992), Dorothy Bynum (1917-1998), James L. Bynum (b. 1934). Dorothy Bynum had a daughter named Virginia Dare Bynum. Virginia Dare Bynum married Robert Lewis Daye (1932-1987) at Courtland, Virginia on March 3, 1956. Their children are Sterling Laverne Day (b. 1954), Malcolm Eugene Daye (1955-2022), Serita A. Daye (b. 1958), Alton Milford Daye (b. 1959), Kelson Demore Daye (b. 1962), and Robert Nelson Daye. My 5th cousin Serita A. Daye is married to Napoleon Beard.
There is the story of an 81-year-old murderer who killed an innocent black woman, whose name is Loletha Hall, who was an Uber driver. She was shot multiple times by the coward in Ohio. The murderer is named William Brock. In South Charleston, Ohio, on March 25, Brock murdered Loletha Hall with multiple shots. Loletha Hall was begging for her life, and she was shown vicious cruelty. Brock is charged with murder, which carries a penalty of 15 years to life in prison. The police are considering other charges too. Brock pleaded not guilty, but he is guilty as sin. This vicious person shot an innocent black woman in cold blood. So, Brock deserves nothing but a trial and justice.
By Timothy
Monday, April 22, 2024
Historical Facts of Our Times.
By August 9, 2014, the public in Ferguson was outraged at how Mike Brown's body was neglected after his death in the summer heat. Things would develop more. Crowds of people are angry at the police. By August 10, 2024, there was a candlelight vigil in Ferguson. Then, the Ferguson rebellion officially started. It was the first major rebellion on this scale in America since the 1992 rebellion in Los Angeles, California. Some people were protesting Mike Brown's death in the street peacefully. Other people started to smash car windows, carry award food, alcohol, and other items stolen from stores. Some people stood on police cars to taunt officers. I agree with peaceful protest, but I don't agree with violence against innocent people or innocent property (as those actions only hurt the cause of justice and allow the government to enact more suppressive laws. Many people doing violence unjustly are agent provocateurs too). A QuikTrip convenience store on West Florissant Avenue, just blocks from where Brown was shot, was looted and burned. Many businesses were damaged or destroyed. This was the first of many nights of unrest. The peaceful protesters have every right to protest, and many people from the Black Lives Matter movement came to Ferguson, Missouri too. It is important to note that grassroots movements fought for change in Ferguson too. By August 11, 2014, the FBI opened an investigation into Michael Brown's death. Two men said that they saw the shooting and told reporters that Brown had his hands raised when the officer fired repeatedly. During the night of August 11th, the police were in riot gear and fired tear gas and rubber bullets to try to disperse a crowd of protesters. Many innocent protesters were harmed by tear gas and rubber bullets too. By August 14, 2014, the Missouri State Highway Patrol takes control of security (over the local Ferguson and St. Louis County officers) being the head law enforcement officers after days of the rebellion. This was a turning point when officers had military-style gear like armored vehicles, body armor, and assault rifles. Many law enforcement members had sound weapons too. Photos circulated online show officers pointing their weapons at demonstrators which is inappropriate and unjust. During August 15, 2024, the police identified Darren Wilson as the officer who shot Mike Brown. There was surveillance video released showing Brown grabbing large amounts of cigarillos from behind the counter of the Ferguson Market and pushing a worker who confronted him as he left the convenience store. The police said that Brown took almost $50 worth of cigarillos. The release of the video upset protesters.
By August 16, 2014, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in Ferguson. By August 18, 2014, Governor Nixon called the National Guard to Ferguson to help restore order. He lifted the curfew. By August 20, 2014, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder visited Ferguson to offer assurances about the investigation into Brown's death to meet with investigators and Brown's family. A grand jury begins hearing evidence to determine whether Wilson should be charged. By August 21, 2014, Nixon ordered the National Guard to withdraw from Ferguson. On September 25, 2014, Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson released a videotaped apology to Brown's family and attempted to march in solidarity with protesters. The move backfired when Ferguson officers scuffled with demonstrators and arrested one person moments after Jackson joined the group. He places Ferguson police in charge of security in Ferguson, with orders for them to work as a unified command with other departments. On November 18, 2014, Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard again ahead of a decision from a grand jury. He placed Ferguson police in charge of security in Ferguson, with orders for them to work as a unified command with other departments. On November 24, 2014, St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch announced that the grand jury had decided not to indict Wilson. Protests that were passionate but peaceful earlier in the day turned violent. At least a dozen buildings and multiple police cars are burned, officers are hit by rocks and batteries, and reports of gunfire force some St. Louis-bound flights to be diverted. On November 29, 2014, Wilson announced his resignation from the Ferguson Police Department effective immediately.
One World War II veteran part of the Historic 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion is retired Air Force Major Fannie Griffin McClendon. She now lives in Temple, Arizona. She is now over 100 years old. Being humble is part of her personality. When she was 19 years old, she enlisted in the United States Army. Back then, her work changed the whole world. The Battalion was made up of about 855 black women who went to England and France to fight fascism during World War II. "To be able to be over in Europe and all and see the things that I had studied about over the years – really quite enlightening," McClendon said. The motto of the organization was "no mail, low morale." McClendon was the first woman commander of an all-men squadron with the Strategic Air Command. Her late husband was Roy.
The Supremes featured amazingly talented black women. Diana Ross was very ambitious and eager to show her talents to the world. By January 1961, the Supremes signed with Barry Gordy and Motown. Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Barbara Martin were in the group by January 15, 1961. Barbara Martin left the group, so The Supremes became a trio. In late 1963, the Supremes ad their first hit When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes. It peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Diana Ross became the lead singer by the edict of Gordy. In June 1964, while on tour with Dick Clark's Cavalcade of Stars, the group scored their first number-one hit with "Where Did Our Love Go", paving the way for unprecedented success: between August 1964 and May 1967, Ross, Wilson, and Ballard sang on ten number-one hit singles, all of which also made the UK Top 40. The group had also become a hit with audiences both domestically and abroad, going on to become Motown's most successful vocal act throughout the sixties.
Ross began to dominate interviews with the media, answering questions aimed at Ballard or Wilson. She pushed for more pay than her colleagues. In 1965, she began using the name Diana from the mistake on her birth certificate, surprising Ballard and Wilson who had only known her as Diane. Following significant issues with comportment, weight, and alcoholism, Florence Ballard was fired from the Supremes by Gordy in July 1967, hiring Cindy Birdsong from Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles as Ballard's replacement. Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & the Supremes, making it easier to charge a larger performance fee for a solo star and a backing group, as it did for other renamed Motown groups. I disagree with Berry Gordy for these decisions for many reasons. One is that Florence Ballard was a victim of rape who deserved the opportunity to have compassion and therapy, not to be fired quickly. Also, Florence Ballard should have stayed in the group a lot longer as a means of solidarity. Florence Ballard is an underrated vocalist. The Supremes is about women's empowerment and black talent.
The group appeared as a trio of singing nuns in a 1968 episode of the popular NBC TV series Tarzan. Between their early 1968 single "Forever Came Today" and their final single with Ross, "Someday We'll Be Together", Ross would be the only Supremes member to be featured on many of their recordings, often accompanied by session singers the Andantes or, as in the case of "Someday We'll Be Together", Julia and Maxine Waters and Johnny Bristol. Still, Wilson and Birdsong continued to sing on recordings. Gordy drove Ross relentlessly throughout this period and Ross, due to anxiety arising from Gordy's demands of her, began suffering from anorexia nervosa, according to her autobiography, Secrets of a Sparrow. During a 1967 performance in Boston, Massachusetts, Ross collapsed onstage and had to be hospitalized for exhaustion. In 1968, Ross began to perform as a solo artist on television specials, including the Supremes' own specials such as TCB and G.I.T. on Broadway, The Dinah Shore Show, and a Bob Hope special, among others. In mid-1969, Gordy decided that Ross would depart the group by the end of that year, and Ross began recording her initial solo work that July. One of the first plans for Ross to establish her own solo career was to publicly introduce a new Motown recording act. Though she herself did not claim their discovery, Motown's publicity department credited Ross with having discovered the Jackson 5. Ross would introduce the group during several public events, including The Hollywood Palace. In November, Ross confirmed a split from the Supremes in Billboard. Ross's presumed first solo recording, "Someday We'll Be Together", was eventually released as a Supremes recording and became the group's final number-one hit on the Hot 100. It was also the final number-one Billboard Hot 100 single of the 1960s. Ross made her final appearance with the Supremes at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 14, 1970
World War One started on June 28, 1914, when there was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne. He was murdered in Sarajevo, along with his wife Sophie Duchess of Hohenberg, by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serbian person who was a member of the group The Black Hand. Princip used a FN 1910 semi-automatic handgun. Princip was part of the student revolutionary group called Young Bosnia. The assassination was a conspiracy with conspirators like Muhamed Mehmedbasic, Vaso Cubrilovic, Nedeljko Cabrinovic, Cvjetko Popovic, and Trifko Grabez including coordinating by Danilo Illic. The political assassination desired to free Bosnia and Herzegovina of Austria-Hungary rule to make a common South Slavic (Yugolsav) state. This situation caused the July Crisis and WWI. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and World WWI was on. Gavrilo Princip was caught, tried for murder and treason, and sent to 20 years in prison. Princip died when he was 23 years old over health issues on April 28, 1918. He had tuberculosis and malnutrition. On July 5, 1914, Austria-Hungary sought German support for a war against Serbia in case of Russian military intervention. German Empire gave assurances of support. By July 23, 1914, there was the beginning of the "Black Week." Austria-Hungary sent an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia. The Kingdom of Serbia responded that night, agreeing to most but not all terms of the ultimatum. The Serbian response is seen as satisfactory by the Kaiser, but German diplomats do not pressure Austria to make peace. July 24, 1914, was when the Kingdom of Serbia mobilized expecting Austria to declare war after the refusal of the ultimatum. During the next day, Austria mobilized its military forces. Russia prepares for war in a partial mobilization. By July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary officially declared war on Serbia. There was the Willy–Nicky correspondence. Wilhelm II, German Emperor, and Nicholas II of Russia communicated via telegram on July 29, 1914. Germany sent Russia an ultimatum by July 30, 2024. Sweden promotes neutrality in the war. Russia mobilized for war on July 31, 1914. Then, Germany declared war on Russia and mobilized its forces on August 1, 1914. France mobilized its forces and Italy was neutral during this time. There is the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire signed a secret alliance treaty on August 1, 1914 too. This was the German-Ottoman alliance. Germany invaded Luxembourg on August 2, 1914. There is the first military action on the Western Front at Joncherey. From August 2-26, 1914, Germany besieged and captured fortified Longwy, "the Iron Gate to Paris", near the Luxembourg border, opening France to the mass German invasion. Throughout August 1914, more events happen during WWI. Germany declared war on France. Belgium denied permission for German forces to go through to the French border. Switzerland became neutral and built its defense forces. The war is now between Germany, Russia, and France. Germany invaded Belgium on August 4, 1914, in trying to outflank the French army.
Britain protests against the violation of Belgian neutrality, guaranteed by the Treaty of London (1839), The German Chancellor replies that the treaty is just a chiffon de papier (a scrap of paper). The United Kingdom declares war on Germany, automatically including all dominions, colonies, etc. of the British Empire including Canada, Australia, and British India. America by August 1914 declared neutrality. That will obviously change. Geramny captures the fortresses at Liege, Belgum. There were weapons fired in Melbourne, Australia by Australian troops. Australia attacks German forces in the Pacific. German Steamer SS Pfalz surrenders after being fired on by Fort Nepean, south of Melbourne, Australia. Montenegro declared war on Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire closed the Dardanelles. Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia, the Kingdom of Serbia declared war on Germany, and Spain becomes neutral. There was the Battle of the Frontiers when Germany had a victory against the British Expeditionary Force and France's Fifth Army.
The Battle of Mulhouse was a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. Montenegro declared war on Germany. The Togoland Campaign started. France declared war on Austria-Hungary on August 11, 1914. The United Kingdom declared war on Austria-Hungary. The Battle of Halen was part of the Battle of Frontiers including the Battle of Lorraine. Germany invaded Belgium again in the Battle of Dinant. Germany came into East Africa. World War I continued with Germany occupying Brussels. Japan declared war on Germany, and the Russian army had a heavy defeat by the Germans in the Battle of Tannenberg. Russia captured Lviv in the Battle of Galicia. From August 27 to November, there was the siege of Tsingtao when the British and Japanese forces capture the German-controlled port of Qingdao in the Republic of China (1912–1949). The UK wins early Naval battles. By the end of 1914, World War I became more global. Germany is invaded in South Africa. Germany used U-boats to attack Allied Forces globally. Japan occupied the Marshall Islands. Ottoman forces bombard the Russian ports of Odessa and Sevastopol. France and the United Kingdom declared war on the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Mehmed VI declared war on the Allies of WWI. At the end of 1914, the war had victories among the Allied Powers and Central Powers. It was fundamentally a stalemate.
The 1990's saw an increase of console wars along with the modern-day World Wide Web Internet system. The Internet has been around since the 1960's (with DAPRA, etc.), but the World Wide Web was invented in 1990. The famous Computer game of Solitaire came about in 1990. Solitaire is still one of the most popular electronic games of all time found in computers, cell phones, and other devices worldwide today. Sonic the Hedgehog of the Sega game system in 1991 has inspired TV shows and movies for generations. Military strategy games were innovated from the 1992 game of Dune II from Westwood Studios. The video game rating system was created after the 1993 game of Mortal Kombat and other games where graphic violence was presented. A new era of the video game era was when Sony released the game system of PlayStation in 1995. It's easy-to-use hand device and simplistic console device made it a huge hit among people of all ages. Back then, it sold for $100 less than Sega Saturn. Nintendo 64 came out in 1996. The controversial video game of Tomb Raider existed in 1996. Critics back then claimed that the video game promoted sexism. In 1997, IBM's supercomputer chess program Deep Blue defeated world champion Gary Kasparov in a match. One of the most popular video games was Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in 1998. In 1999, Sony Online Entertainment's Everquest led many users to play in the multiplayer online world of Norrath.
By the 2000's, the video game landscape has changed. There was more online play in dealing with consoles and computers. By the year of 2000, we have the Sims computer games. Will Wright's The Sims try to model real-life people and landscapes. There were simulation games before The Sims, but The Sims became a very potent best-selling computer game. The Sims is still played by tons of people to this very day. In 2001, Microsoft enters the video game market with Xbox. Many love their Halo: Combat Evolved. Later in 2005, there was Xbox 360 with advanced graphics, seamless online play, and millions of fans worldwide. In 2002, the U.S. Army created America's Army video game to gain new recruits and talk with a new generation of electronic gamers. Steam is a PC gaming distribution platform that allows players to download, play, and update games. The 2004 handheld video game Nintendo DS was easy to use and had multiplayer capacities plus a stylus for the touchscreen. Super Mario Kart DS helped with the gaming system too. I remember when Ninetendo Wii came about in 2006 that allow people to have motion sensitive remotes for sports, music, etc. In 2007, Rock Band allows people to use a guitar, microphone, and bass or drums to play music from Harmonix. In 2008, the World of Warcraft was popular in Massively Multiplayer Online games, Farmville was a great mobile game, and Angry Birds are found in iPhone and Facebook.
In our generation, people need to be reminded of the brutality of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and slavery in America. This was part of the Maafa when evil people kidnapped innocent black African men, women, and children and forced them to go into the Americas, Europe, Asia, etc. These human beings were raped, beaten, families split, and forced to do inhumane actions on the ships and plantations. Easily, the Maafa was the worst form of slavery in all of human history. In our generation, many far-right extremists want to sugarcoat the Maafa (like in Florida, Texas, etc.), but we won't do so here. The Maafa lasted from the late 1400's to the 1800's. Afterward, black people in the world are still fighting for justice and human liberation. Slavery still exists in Mauritania, Yemen (with Houthis harming black people), and other places in the world. Most victims of the Maafa came from Western and Central Africa. My DNA ancestry is mostly from Nigeria and the Congo/Angola. Therefore, I know fully about this subject. Many people from Europe, the Middle East, and traitors from Africa were complicit in the Maafa, but the racist Europeans controlled the major functions of the Maafa and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. In America, black people were forced into slavery in brutal terms. Yet, we still rose up in slave revolts to fight back. We were involved in the American Civil War to defeat the evil Confederacy to end overt, legalized slavery. Still, we fight voting rights suppression, book bans, suppression of the rights of minorities, and the MAGA movement. We are on the right side of history, and we shall be victorious in the end.
By Timothy
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
Time Going Forward.
The hush money case became more different. There were once five seated jurors in Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial. Two jurors were excused recently. Ultimately 12 New Yorkers and possibly six alternates needed to be selected. There was a panel of 18 potential jurors who were questioned by prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys. Attorneys on both sides want any potential juror dismissed if the person is seen as biased. Judge Juan Merchant said that another batch of 96 jurors would be brought in to be sworn in. One dismissed juror said that former President Donald Trump was scowling at the jury. Now, there were 12 jurors sworn in. The jury is now made up of seven men and five women. The alternate juror is a woman who was also chosen on Thursday. Judge Juan Merchan said that court will resume on Friday morning. Jury selection is expected to continue until about six alternates are seated. Trump said that the court was uncomfortably cold. Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for his alleged role in a hush-money scheme before the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty. Alternate jurors will listen to the entire trial but won't participate in deliberations.
The Supreme Court Code of Conduct says that recusal exists to stop the appearance of impropriety. That is why Justice Clarence Thomas must recuse himself from Trump's presidential immunity case next week. The reason is that his wife Ginni Thomas had an explicit role in trying to overthrow the legal 2020 election. President Biden wants a rule that would sharply limit credit card late fees, saving American families more than 10 billion dollars a year. Many people need credit cards. The House Republicans voted to block the rule on Wednesday. The Republican party doing this shows that they promote corporate interests instead of true economic justice.
There is a new witch hunt in American society found in college campuses nationwide. This witch hunt is trying to suppress pro-Palestinian voices. Like always, I believe in true free speech. That means that pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli voices have the free speech to be expressed on college campuses in America without censorship. Yet, New York City universities stepped up their purging of pro-Palestinian faculty which is cruel and against the exercise of free thought. The appointment of Dr. Abdul Kayum Ahmed, an assistant professor teaching human rights at Columbia would not be renewed. This comes as the John Jay College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, administrators sent notice to Professor Danny Shaw he would be denied reappointments in the summer and in the fall. The expulsion of students at Columbia, the disaffiliation of student clubs, and the banning of protests nationwide represents total fascism not free thought being promoted. Hamas's evil murder and rape of Jewish people in Israel indeed has no justification. Also, indeed, Israeli's forces overt war crimes and mass murder of Palestinian people, the destruction of Gaza infrastructure, denying much of the humanitarian aid in Gaza, displacing more than 2 million human beings, etc. have no justification either. The criminalization of protests is not right. It's evil. Opposing anti-Semitism is a necessity, but supporting human rights of Palestinians is not anti-Semitism. Now, the University of Michigan desires to have a new policy suppressing campus protests too under threat of expulsion and arrest. It is no secret that the FBI and the NYPD are working together to monitor dissent. We know that German police officers raided a pro-Palestinian conference, shutting down the event, and arrested the organizers.
The Senate ends both articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The Democratic-controlled Senate on Wednesday made that reality happen. The trial of the cabinet secretary barely got underway. House Republicans had voted to impeach Mayorkas in February of 2024 over their views on the handling of the southern border by a narrow margin. Mayorkas was the first cabinet secretary to be impeached in almost 150 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing growing threats by MAGA Republicans, because he plans to put a series of foreign aid bills on the floor, including funding for Ukraine. Many Republicans don't agree with any foreign aid, even humanitarian foreign aid to help starving people in the world. Many of them care more for a retrograde ideology than helping their neighbors themselves in the real world. The GOP is so extreme that Mike Johnson is not good enough for them. The Department of Homeland Security and the White House praise the end of the Mayorkas impeachment controversy.
We can't be naive in the real world. Chris Wary said that there are new threats to public gatherings in America. Back in April 1995, there was the bombing of the Federal Government building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I was in the 6th grade when it took place. I remember that time just like yesterday. Timothy McVeigh was part of the far-right movement that exists today. The MAGA movement is filled with far-right extremists, white nationalists, anti-Semites, and anti-government extremists. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with oppressive government, but true government is not evil if it is used to promote the general welfare of the people. Now, you have nihilists who want to abolish all of the government and use terrorism against innocent human life. That is wrong. The Oklahoma City bombing (which came after the Waco situation in 1993) was filled with chaos and other forms of evil. This hate-filled movement grew to be part of the January 6th terrorist insurrection.
By Timothy
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
The Political World.
Corporate profits are at a 70-year high, but many people want to falsely blame all of the inflation in America on stimulus checks. The Justice Department is planning to sue Live Nation/Ticketmaster for running an illegal monopoly over the ticketing industry. The 2024 Presidential campaign of Donald Trump is blatantly reactionary and treasonous. Here are some reasons why. Trump has repeatedly rejected the legitimate outcome of the 2020 presidential election, without any basis in fact. Trump has continuously praised the criminal convicts of the January 6th insurrection. He called them hostages when most of them were convicted of injuring police officers during the attack. Trump has lied and said that any criminal indictments against him are part of a Biden-led conspiracy against him. The truth is that prosecutors and grand juries issued indictments and acted independently by themselves. Trump's 2024 campaign is the extension of his 2020 coup d'etat attempt against American democracy. Trump wants more tax cuts for the rich, gut worker protections, create mass deportations, and establish a new Muslim ban. Biden wants to tax corporations and the wealthy, have universal Pre-K, 12 weeks paid family and medical leave, and expand anti-poverty tax credits. The choice is clear. We should always defend the greatness of our democracy.
Six jurors have been sworn in involving the Trump hush money case. In Manhattan, about one-third of the jury has been seated in the Trump trial. The Constitution requires a speedy trial with an impartial jury. The judge reprimands Trump for Trump visibly and audibly reacting to one of the potential jurors. In other words, Judge Juan Merchan said that he can't intimidate any jurors or potential jurors. Attorney Bragg claimed that Trump wanted to falsify business records for his alleged role in a hush-money scheme before the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty. So, the prosecution in court must prove intent and cite the New York falsifying business records statute.
There is a US. Supreme Court oral arguments in the January 6th case. Some Supreme Court Justices seem skeptical of using obstruction law to charge January 6th terrorists. Prosecutions have charged hundreds of people involved in the January 6th insurrection for obstruction. There were over 90 minutes of arguments. The Supreme Court by July 2024 could have severe ramifications for some 350 people who are charged with obstruction an official proceeding for their part in the Capitol attack, including more than 100 people who have already been convicted and received prison sentences. The Supreme Court knows full well that these terrorists have obstructed an official proceeding. The problem is that many conservative members of the Supreme Court don't see it that way. If the Supreme Court decides to minimize the acts of terrorists, then those members of the Court who voted on the side of the insurrectionists have committed treason against the United States of America overtly in my opinion. I don't use those words lightly, because those insurrectionists wanted to overthrow the government unjustly.
Two things are true. The Israeli government was wrong to have a strike on the Iranian embassy on April 1, 2024, because this act has nothing to do with self-defense. Many top-level Iranian military officers, including two generals, were killed. This act is illegal and a violation of international law. Iran's response in Israel was wrong because Iran used random strikes on civilian Israeli territories in the hundreds. Iran's act had the motivation to kill Israelis, beyond military leadership. So, we have an escalation of the tensions of the Middle East done by Hamas and the far right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu (who is pro-Trump, who has been accused of financial corruption in Israel, and desires to invade Rafah which even President Biden opposes). Biden is allying with G-7 nations to unite in favor of Israeli policies. The continued death in Gaza harming civilians, churches, schools, and other civilian locations represents a violation of international law overtly. The death of aid workers has no justification in Gaza. War mongers in America want war in Iran, China, and Russia. We reject Russian imperialism in Ukraine (and Putin is a far-right dictator), but Russia shouldn't be invaded.
Day one of Trump's historic hush money trial is over. This era of the trial deals with jury selection. More than 50 potential jurors were dismissed after saying that they could not be fair and impartial. Being a juror requires that people be fair in analyzing any criminal case. Potential jurors will continue to be vetted. Trump was charged last year with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for his alleged role in a hush-money scheme before the 2016 election. Trump falsely claimed that the judge won't let him attend his son's high school graduation next month. The judge hasn't ruled yet on Trump's request to be excused from the court so he can attend Barron Trump's high school graduation. The Trump defense team wants to slow things down. Prosecutors want Judge Juan Merchan to sanction Trump and fine him for violating the gag order prohibiting him from talking about witnesses in the case. Trump used a smirk during the trial.
By Timothy
Monday, April 15, 2024
Historical Information in April of 2024.
The story of Ferguson deals with the state of Missouri. Missouri is a Midwestern state with a legacy of massive racism and a history of resisting that racism too. For example, there were protests in 1819 over the Missouri Compromise. Walthall M. Moore in 1920 was an elected representative from St. Louis, being the first black American to serve in the Missouri General Assembly. Homer G. Phillips was a champion of civil rights in Missouri. A hospital is named after him in St. Louis. DeVerne Calloway of St. Louis was the first black woman state representative in Missouri's General Assembly on November 6, 1962. Missouri borders Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. It's home to many forests, rivers, minerals, and near the Ozarks. Native Americans created the Mississippian culture with cities and mounds for about 12,000 years in the state of Missouri. European explorers lived in the areas and people of diverse backgrounds. In the Old West, Missouri has been a place where The Pony Express, the Gateway Arch, the Oregon Trial, and other locations existed. Famous people from the state like Mark Twain, Nelly, Sheryl Crow, and Edwin Hubble. Ferguson existed as a city in 1855 by William B. Ferguson ceded 10 acres of land to the Wabash Railroad in exchange for a new depot and gaming rights. Ferguson is a city near St. Louis. Ferguson saw a massive demographic shift. In 1970, 99 percent of the population of Ferguson were made up of white Americans and 1 percent were African Americans. By the 2020 census, we have 71.80 percent of the Ferguson population being African American and 1.19 percent of the population being white Americans.
Michael Orlandus Darrion Brown lived from May 20, 1996, to August 9, 2014. He just graduated from high school eight days before his death. He completed an alternative education program. He was a person with an amateur hip-hop career with his songs on SoundCloud calling himself "Big Mike." He was two days from starting a training program for heating and air conditioning repair at the Vatterett College Technical School. Surveillance video which was publicly released in the 2017 documentary film Stranger Fruit shows Michael Brown walking into Ferguson Market and Liquor at 1:13 a.m., ten-and-a-half hours before he entered the store for the final time. The footage shows Brown handing a young clerk a brown package, believed by the filmmaker to be marijuana, and then receiving an unpurchased package of cigarillos from the store. After the video was rediscovered and made public in 2017, some, including Brown's family, said they believed Brown had left the package there for safekeeping and later returned to retrieve it. The store owner disputed this through an attorney who dismissed claims that the store traded him "cigarillos for pot." The lawyer claimed "[t]he reason he [Brown] gave it back is he was walking out the door with unpaid merchandise and they [the staff] wanted it back." The store's attorney said the video had been in the hands of Brown's family and law enforcement since the initial investigation, and said the video had been edited to remove the portion where the store clerk returned Brown's package to him. Following this, on March 13, 2017, unedited footage from the store was released by the St. Louis County prosecutor to try to settle questions.
At 11:47 pm, Office Wilson responded to a call about a baby with breathing problems. He drove to Glenark Drive in Ferguson, east of Canfield Drive. About three minutes later, and several blocks away, Brown was recorded on camera stealing a box of Swisher Sweets cigars and forcefully shoving a Ferguson Market clerk. At 11:53, a police dispatcher reported "stealing in progress" at the Ferguson Market and described the suspect as a black male wearing a white T-shirt running toward QuikTrip. The suspect was reported as having stolen a box of Swisher cigars. Brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson, left the market at about 11:54 a.m. At 11:57, the dispatch described the suspect as wearing a red St. Louis Cardinals hat, a white T-shirt, yellow socks, and khaki shorts, and that he was accompanied by another male. Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said that the incident with Brown stealing cigars had "nothing to do" with why Brown was stopped by Wilson before the shooting, and that the reason Brown and Johnson were stopped was because "they were walking down the middle of the street, blocking traffic." At 12:00 p.m., Wilson reported he was back in service and radioed units 25 and 22 to ask if they needed his assistance in searching for the suspects. Seven seconds later, an unidentified officer said the suspects had disappeared. Wilson called for backup at 12:02, saying "[Unit] 21. Put me on Canfield with two. And send me another car."
Initial reports of what happened next differed widely among sources and witnesses, particularly with regard to whether Brown was moving towards Wilson when the shots were fired. Scholars all agree that there was a dispute among Brown and the officer. The debate is whether Mike Brown ran towards the officer or not before Mike Brown's passing. At noon on August 9, Wilson drove up to Brown and Johnson as they were walking in the middle of Canfield Drive and ordered them to move off the street. Wilson continued driving past the two men, but then backed up and stopped close to them. A struggle took place between Brown and Wilson after Brown reached through the window of Wilson's police SUV, a Chevrolet Tahoe. Wilson was armed with a SIG Sauer P229 pistol, which was fired twice during the struggle from inside the vehicle, with one bullet hitting Brown's right hand. Brown and Johnson fled and Johnson hid behind a car. Wilson got out of the vehicle and pursued Brown. At some point, Wilson fired his pistol again, while facing Brown, and hit him with at least six shots, all in the front of his body. Brown was unarmed and died on the street. Less than 90 seconds passed from the time Wilson encountered Brown to the time of Brown's death.
An unidentified officer arrived on the scene and, 73 seconds after Wilson's call, asked where the second suspect was. Thirty-one seconds later, a supervisor was requested by Unit 25. At 12:07 p.m., an officer on scene radioed to dispatch for more units. Also at 12:07, the St. Louis County police were notified and county officers began arriving on scene at around 12:15 p.m. The St. Louis County detectives were notified at 12:43 p.m. and arrived about 1:30 p.m., with the forensic investigator arriving at about 2:30 p.m. Police dispatched 12 units to the scene by 1:00 p.m. with another 12, including two canine units, by 2:00 p.m. Gunshots were recorded in Ferguson police logs at 2:11 p.m., and by the ambulance dispatch again at 2:14 p.m., which led to the response of 20 more units from eight different municipal forces in the next 20 minutes. As the situation deteriorated, the police commanders had investigators seek cover and detectives assisted in crowd control. At 2:45, four canine units arrived on scene, and the SWAT team arrived at 3:20 p.m. The medical examiner began his examination of Brown at approximately 3:30 p.m. and concluded about half an hour later, with Brown's body being cleared to be taken to the morgue. At 4:37 p.m., Brown's body was signed in at the morgue by workers. Michael Brown was fatally shot by Officer Wilson at about 12:02 p.m. The Ferguson Police Department was on the scene within minutes, as were crowds of residents. Many residents were angry at how Michael Brown's body was not removed until hours after the incident seen as demeaning and disrespectful. About 20 minutes after the shooting, the Ferguson police chief turned over the homicide investigation to the St. Louis County Police Department (SLCPD). The arrival of SLCPD detectives took about 70 minutes, as they were occupied with another crime scene 37 minutes away. On arrival at 1:30 p.m., they put up privacy screens around the body. There are two sets of witnesses. One group of witnesses believed that Brown charged Wilson and Wilson killed him. The other groups of witnesses believe in opposing Wilson's story and claim that Wilson killed Brown unjustly like Michael Brown's friend Dorian Johnson. Like always, we must stand for the truth and defend the human dignity of black life at the same time. It is true that the city of Ferguson has had racial, policing, and economic problems for years and decades.
Las Vegas in the West Coast of the United States of America was born amid massive change, economic development, and entertainment. It's the most populous city in Nevada. Beyond the clubs and the centers of money, tons of hard-working class people live in Las Vegas too. Located in Clark County, the city is the second largest city of the Southwest. It is found in the Mojave Desert too. Being a resort city, it's home to boxing events, music events, gambling, shopping, fine dining, nightlife, and other forms of entertainment. It has 641,903 people as of 2020, and its metropolitan area has about 2.2 million people. Las Vegas comes from the Spanish word las vegas meaning the meadows. From people getting married to watching large shows, Las Vegas is a very vibrant location. Its hotels are very numerous, and Las Vegas has a wide ranging infrastructure. It is also a recent, young city. New York City was born over 2 centuries ago. Norfolk, Virginia was born over three centuries ago. Las Vegas was a city during the early 20th century. The population of Las Vegas has rapidly expanded being in about 141 square miles.
The John Brown Raid took place 165 years ago. It was one of the most important events of antebellum America. Back then, millions of black people were in tyranny with slavery. Slavery is no country club. Slavery deals with control, brutality, torture, rape, family splitting, obscene acts on human life, and other abominable crimes having no justification at all. People have God-given right to resist the tyranny of slavery in seeking true freedom. There were many slavery revolts, and John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was one of the final anti-slavery revolts in America before the advent of the American Civil War. We know about John Brown and his total disgust of slavery. Yet, there were other men involved in the cause of the raid too like Shields Green, John Henry Kagi, and other brave people who wanted America to end slavery once and for all. Involving the raid, only 5 men escaped, 11 men were killed, and 7 were captured and later executed (including John Brown). John Brown and other men gave up their lives in heroic sacrifice, so we can type on the computer, go to any place we want, and live life without legalized slavery. Their memories will never be forgotten in our consciousness. We will always acknowledge their heroic sacrifice forever and ever.
The causes of World War One were complex. One major cause of the war was the competing political and military alliances that clashed causing war in Europe and beyond. By the 19th century, many European powers used colonialism, imperialism, rape, and other evils to steal lands in the four corners of the Earth. After the defeat of Napoleon and after the Berlin Conference, this competition continued. The 19th century saw many wars that signaled a prelude to World War One. European leaders want to maintain the balance of power for a time the Concert of Europe. After 1848, Britain grew, there was the Ottoman Empire declining, and other events challenged the Concert of Europe concept. There was the rise of Prussia in German areas with Otto von Bismarck as the leader. The 1866 Austro-Prussian War established Prussian hegemony in German states, while victory in the 1870–1871 Franco-Prussian War allowed Bismarck to consolidate a German Empire under Prussian leadership. Avenging the defeat of 1871, or revanchism, and recovering the provinces of Alsace-Lorraine became an obsession of French policy and public opinion for the following few years, yet since the 1880s this concern was eclipsed by the conquest of a vast colonial empire, and had disappeared from the programs of all French political parties as utterly unrealistic. The U.K. didn't want Prussia to get too powerful as Prussia had the strongest army in Europe.
To isolate France and avoid a war on two fronts, Bismarck negotiated the League of the Three Emperors between Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany. After the Russian victory in the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War, the League was dissolved due to Austrian concerns over Russian influence in the Balkans, an area they considered to be of vital strategic interest. Germany and Austria-Hungary then formed the 1879 Dual Alliance, which became the Triple Alliance when Italy joined in 1882. For Bismarck, the purpose of these agreements was to isolate France by ensuring the three Empires resolved any disputes between themselves; when this was threatened in 1880 by British and French attempts to negotiate directly with Russia, he reformed the League in 1881, which was renewed in 1883 and 1885. After the agreement lapsed in 1887, he replaced it with the Reinsurance Treaty, a secret agreement between Germany and Russia to remain neutral if either were attacked by France or Austria-Hungary. Bismarck wanted peace with Russia too. France responded to this by signing the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1894, followed by the 1904 Entente Cordiale with Britain. The Triple Entente was completed by the 1907 Anglo-Russian Convention. While these were not formal alliances, by settling long-standing colonial disputes in Asia and Africa, the notion of British entry into any future conflict involving France or Russia became a possibility. British and Russian support for France against Germany during the Agadir Crisis in 1911 reinforced their relationship, increasing Anglo-German estrangement. German industry increased. German industrial strength and production had significantly increased after 1871, driven by the creation of a unified Reich, French indemnity payments, and the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine. Backed by Wilhelm II, Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz sought to use this growth in economic power to build a Kaiserliche Marine, or Imperial German Navy, which could compete with the British Royal Navy for naval supremacy.
There were conflicts in the Balkans, because the Ottoman empire declined. In the Balkans, many people wanted nationalism, not empire or monarchies. While Pan-Slavic and Orthodox Russia considered itself the protector of Serbia and other Slav states, they preferred the strategically vital Bosporus straits to be controlled by a weak Ottoman government, rather than an ambitious Slavic power like Bulgaria. Since Russia had its ambitions in northeastern Anatolia, while their clients had overlapping claims in the Balkans, balancing these divided Russian policy-makers and added to regional instability. Austria saw Sebian nationalism as a threat to their empire. Austrian statesmen viewed the Balkans as essential for the continued existence of their Empire and saw Serbian expansion as a direct threat. The 1908–1909 Bosnian Crisis began when Austria annexed the former Ottoman territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which it had occupied since 1878. Timed to coincide with the Bulgarian Declaration of Independence from the Ottoman Empire, this unilateral action was denounced by the European powers but accepted as there was no consensus on how to resolve the situation. Some historians see this as a significant escalation, ending any chance of Austria cooperating with Russia in the Balkans, while also damaging diplomatic relations between Serbia and Italy, both of whom had their expansionist ambitions in the region.
There was the Balkan League with Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Greece. The Great Powers sought to re-assert control through the 1913 Treaty of London, which created an independent Albania while enlarging the territories of Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece. However, disputes between the victors sparked the 33-day Second Balkan War, when Bulgaria attacked Serbia and Greece on 16 June 1913; it was defeated, losing most of Macedonia to Serbia and Greece, and Southern Dobruja to Romania. The result was that even countries that benefited from the Balkan Wars, such as Serbia and Greece, felt cheated of their "rightful gains", while for Austria it demonstrated the apparent indifference with which other powers viewed their concerns, including Germany. This complex mix of resentment, nationalism, and insecurity helps explain why the pre-1914 Balkans became known as the "powder keg of Europe. Then, the Sarajevo assassination ultimately led to World War One with the Triple Alliance treaty being tested.
The second generation of country music existed from the 1930's to the 1940's. Radio was a major way on how country music was shown to the public. There were barn dance shows featuring country music all over the South (they existed as far north as Chicago and as far west as California). The most important was the Grand Ole Opry, aired starting in 1925 by WSM in Nashville and continuing to the present day. During the 1930s and 1940s, cowboy songs, or Western music, which had been recorded since the 1920s, were popularized by films made in Hollywood, many featuring Gene Autry, who was known as the king of the "singing cowboys," and Hank Williams. Bob Wills was another country musician from the Lower Great Plains who had become very popular as the leader of a "hot string band," and who also appeared in Hollywood westerns. His mix of country and jazz, which started out as dance hall music, would become known as Western swing. Wills was one of the first country musicians known to have added an electric guitar to his band, in 1938. Country musicians began recording boogie in 1939, shortly after it had been played at Carnegie Hall, when Johnny Barfield recorded "Boogie Woogie." Dorothy Dandridge and her friends did Boogie Woogie cowboy music when they were very young.
Diana Ross was born in the Midwestern city of Detroit, Michigan on March 26, 1944. She was the second of six children. Her parents were Ernestine Moten and Fred Ross Sr. Ross grew up with two sisters named Barbara and Rita along with three brothers, Arthur, Fred Jr., and Wilbert (known as Chico). Diana Ross was raised in the Baptist Church. At first, her family were from 635 Belmont St., in the North End section of Detroit, near Highland Park, Michigan, where her neighbor was Smokey Robinson. When Ross was seven, her mother contracted tuberculosis, causing her to become seriously ill. Ross's parents sent their children to live with Ernestine's parents, the Reverend (pastor of Bessemer Baptist Church), and Mrs. William Moton in Bessemer, Alabama. After her mother recovered, she and her siblings returned to Detroit. By the time Diana Ross was 14 years old, in 1958, her family moved into the working-class Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects, settling at St. Antoine Street. Ross attended Cass Technical High School. This location was a four-year college and preparatory magnet school in downtown Detroit. At first, she wanted to be a fashion designer. She took classes in clothing design, millinery, pattern making, and tailoring. During the evenings and on weekends she also took modeling and cosmetology classes (Ross has written that Robinson loaned her the funds required to attend these), and participated in several of the school's extracurricular activities, including its swim team. In 1960, Hudson's downtown Detroit store hired Ross as its first African American bus girl. For extra income, she also provided hairdressing services to her neighbors. Ross graduated from Cass Tech in January 1962. By the time when she was 15 years old, Diana Ross joined the Primettes, the sister group to a male vocal group called the Primes, after she had been brought to the attention of music manager Milton Jenkins by Primes member Paul Williams. Among the other members of the Primettes were Florence Ballard (the first group member hired by Jenkins), Mary Wilson, and Betty McGlown, Williams' then-girlfriend. After the Primettes won a talent competition in 1960 in Windsor, Ontario, A&R executive and songwriter, Robert Bateman invited them to audition for Motown Records.
The Primettes had much success in live performances at sock hops and other events. Diana Ross approached William "Smokey" Robinson, her former neighbor (rumored to also have been her childhood boyfriend) about auditioning for Motown; he insisted that the group audition for him first. Robinson then agreed to bring the Primettes to Motown, on condition that they allow him and his group, the Miracles, to hire the Primettes' guitarist, Marv Tarplin (who had been discovered by Ross) for an upcoming tour. Tarplin ended up playing in Robinson's band(s) for the next 30-plus years. In her autobiography, Secrets of a Sparrow, Ross wrote that she felt that this had been "a fair trade."
The Primettes later auditioned for Motown, before various Motown executives. In Berry Gordy's autobiography, To Be Loved, Gordy recalled that he had been heading to a business meeting when he happened to hear Ross singing "There Goes My Baby", and that Ross's voice "stopped me in my tracks". He approached the group and asked them to perform it again, but, after learning how young they were, Gordy advised them to finish high school before trying to get signed by Motown.
Undeterred, the group began coming to Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. headquarters every day, offering to provide extra help for Motown's recordings, often including hand claps and background vocals. That year, the group recorded two tracks for Lu Pine Records, with Ross singing lead on one of them. During the group's early years, Ross served as its hairstylist, make-up artist, seamstress, and costume designer. In late 1960, having replaced McGlown with Barbara Martin, the Primettes were allowed to record their own songs at Hitsville studio, many written by "Smokey" Robinson, who, by then, was vice president of Motown ("Your Heart Belongs to Me" and "A Breathtaking Guy"). Gordy, too, composed songs for the trio, including "Buttered Popcorn" (featuring Ballard on lead) and "Let Me Go the Right Way". While these songs were regional hits, they were not nationwide successes.
In January 1961, Gordy agreed to sign the group on the condition they change their name. Songwriter and Motown secretary Janie Bradford approached Florence Ballard, the only group member at the studio at the time, to pick out a new name for the group. Ballard chose "Supremes", reportedly, because it was the only name on the list that did not end with "ette". Upon hearing the new name, the other members weren't impressed, with Ross telling Ballard she feared the group would be mistaken for a male vocal group (a male vocal group was, indeed, named the Supremes). Gordy signed the group under their new name on January 15, 1961. The Supremes was born.
By Timothy
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Friday, April 12, 2024
The Controversial Life and Legacy of O.J. Simpson (and other News).
On April 11, 2024, there is the shocking news of O.J. Simpson passing away. It is important to note that his life was controversial and complicated. He went from a man raised in a working-class environment of San Francisco, California, to be one of the greatest running backs in football history (excelling in high school, college, the NFL, and earning his right to be in the National Football Hall of Fame), being involved in the legal system for massive charges, and working with hip hop artists Cam'ron and Mase in a recent podcast (in the year of 2024). OJ Simpson passed away with his family, friends, children, and grandchildren right there next to him from prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is no joke, and men (including black men) must be tested to stop its spread. He was 76 years old when he passed away. We know of OJ's mistakes. His mistakes have no justification. God would want us to realize this fact, so we can be better people than in the past. We express empathy to OJ Simpson's family as they want people to respect their right to privacy. Also, we express empathy to the Ron Goldman's and Nicole Brown Simpson's families whose loved ones were murdered unjustly. OJ Simpson was a complex human being who both did amazing feats on the football field and had anti-black self-hatred found in his words and conduct (like him saying that he isn't black but O.J. , not being a strong supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, and allying with Donald Trump. Many people didn't know that back in the day, corporate America supported O.J. a great deal from TV sports commentary jobs to being in the Hertz TV commercials when he was hurdling over objects. O.J. Simpson acted in popular movies too). He was a person who people loved and despised. I was in the 7th grade in middle school in October of 1995 when the verdict of his murder trial existed or the Trial of the Century.
The O.J. Simpson trial (which came after the L.A. rebellion in 1992, after the unjust beating of Rodney King by the LAPD, and O.J. had a better defense team filled with a Dream team of lawyers like Johnnie Cochran (who was great one in a generation talented lawyer) than the prosecution. The trial was watched by millions of people worldwide, the trial caused a circus in the public, and the trial caused a higher consciousness about the importance of DNA and forensics in the judicial system in general. Mark Fuhrman's racism being exposed by the defense was the beginning of the end of the prosecution's aim to convict O.J., regardless of if you feel O.J. was guilty or not. The prosecution team made mistake after mistake which caused the verdict to go in a certain way. Back then, most white Americans were shocked, and most black people cheered. Today, most Americans, regardless of color, view O.J. Simpson as guilty. O.J. was acquitted in the criminal trial, not in the civil case. O.J. would be arrested in the 2000's on another case. He left prison via parole in 2017. The trial represented a paradox of both the legacy of the judicial system being discriminatory against black people and how an accused person used all of the money in the world (and with a strong defense legacy counsel) to get off. Both things are true in an ironic way. The complex legacy of O.J. Simpson represents the complicated legacy of American society in general. Many of the same racial tensions back then exist now. Today, we have to realize that racial justice is a necessity along with morality, truth, and honor at the same time. I stand on every syllable that I wrote here. Therefore, O.J. Simpson had a complex legacy involving his life. These are my words about O.J. Simpson.
Judge Chutkan said that the January 6th terrorists are dangerous people, not hostages as said by Donald Trump. The judge is right. Many centrists and corporate Republicans support the FISA reauthorization. Many people forget that during the Bush administration, there was a scandal of the NSA using warrantless spying against U.S. citizens. We want America to be secure from terrorism and other evils, but we also want our civil liberties to be respected too. That is why a coalition of progressives and conservatives voted to block the FISA re-authorization bill over privacy and civil liberty concerns. One Presidential photographer quits the Ford Board of accusing the Foundation of bowing before Trump. The reality is that Trump is a threat to democracy whose views are antithetical to truth and freedom.
Justice has come to the black victims of sick former Mississippi law enforcement officers who did vile acts to innocent people. These acts are so evil that I can't mention them here because it was so graphic. These criminals pleaded guilty to charges of the January 2023 torture and abuse of 2 black men. 20 years were given to Brett McAlpin, Daniel Opdyke, and Jeffrey Middleton. Christian Dedmon was sentenced to 25 years, Hunter Elward was sentenced to 45 years, and Joshua Hartfield was sentenced to 15 years. All of their state sentences are to run concurrently with their federal sentences. The victims are Eddie Parker and Michael Jenkins. Eddie Parker has to go to therapy, and Michael Jenkins can't sing because of a gunshot wound that shattered his jaw. One NAACP Rankin County President Angela English wants the Department of Justice to clean house of corruption found in the county's sheriff's department. Criminals are going to prison, and we have to do our parts in making sure that society is fair and just for all, beyond some people.
For the past few weeks and months, many pro-Trump supporters have tried to convince me to support him. I don't. I made my point clear for years that Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to democracy and freedom in general. Donald Trump passed tax cuts for the super wealthy that caused massive record profits for large corporations but didn't benefit Main Street in a massive level. Conversely now in 2024, we have record low unemployment, massive job growth, and child poverty cut in half (all documented by statistics). Trump wants to free the insurrectionist terrorists at January 6th, and Trump called them hostages. These terrorists used poles to harm police officers, carried guns on Capitol grounds, waved Neo-Nazi and Confederate flags, and threatened to hang Mike Pence. These insurrectionists are antithetical and anathema to America and true freedom. In real life, my ancestors were part of the Union defeating the Confederacy and my relative was part of the Normandy invasion to defeat the Nazi fascists back in the 1940's. So, I know that it is my blood to stand up and speak up against fascists who attack women, immigrants, black people, etc. We reject authoritarianism as Trump has praised Hungary's Orban and other malicious people. I believe in the protection of the environment, and Biden did the right thing to impose national drinking water limits on toxic PFAS. Toxic PFAS can cause cancer and harm humanity. So, I will vote for democracy on November 4th.
By Timothy
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Spring News.
Many military leaders gave an amicus brief to the Supreme Court to oppose Trump's claim that he has immunity in his actions. The reality is that Trump has no unlimited immunity to do what he wants. Unlimited immunity means that Trump has authoritarian powers to do what he wants, even assassinating innocent human life. Jack Smith is the prosecutor who wants Trump to be held accountable for his misconduct against American society. Special Counsel Jack Smith wants the Supreme Court to reject Trump's claim of Presidential immunity. Jack Smith rightfully cites one precedent of the Nixon Watergate scandal when the Supreme Court made Nixon give up tapes to the public which superseded Nixon's claim of Presidential immunity. A former President is not immune from prosecution. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will do the right thing and not grant Trump unlimited immunity. No one is above the law.
Robert Kennedy Jr.'s campaign downplaying Trump's failed coup and the terrorists involved on January 6th is very telling. The campaign's original statement was so false, that the Kennedy campaign revised it from the original statement. The Kennedy campaign lied and said that the terrorist action at the U.S. Capitol may have started as a protest but ended in a riot. Robert Kennedy Jr. wrote that many people think that there is little evidence of January 6th being a true insurrection. He wrote this lie three years ago and wrote that these terrorists carried no weapons, had no plans to seize the government, and Trump wanted them to act peacefully The truth is that multiple terrorists on January 6th carried weapons and assaulted police with weapons. One terrorist named Christopher Alberts admitted in court that he had a 9-millimeter pistol loaded when he assaulted police officers on January 6th. Guy Reffitt is a member of the fascistic militia group of the Texas III Percenters who admitted that he carried a pistol on Capitol grounds. This coup attempt was made up of armed white racists, Qanon cultists, and Trump supporters. Robert Kennedy Jr. (who made the false statement that Biden is a bigger threat than Trump) is a far-right person whose views have been condemned by members of his own family.
There is a lot of news existing in the world today. President Biden announced major action in fighting student loan debt. He wants to cancel more debt involving student loans. Many people have paid off their student loan debt in 10 years, 20 years, and beyond 20 years. Student debt relief is not only good on moral grounds. Biden's student debt plan is trying to reduce student debt for about 30 million Americans and cancel it totally for more than 4 million people. Now, there have been 146 billion dollars canceled already. It will help Americans to contribute more money to the economy, help people buy a home, help some to form a business, and help people start a family without economic oppression. As for the tax bill, Senator Grassley, who is a Republican, from Iowa admitted that he doesn't want the tax bill passed, because it looks good for President Biden. He is opposed to extending the child tax credit that will help millions of Americans. The GOP has members who want more tax cuts for the rich, defend the IRS, end student loan forgiveness, end overtime rules, slash school lunches, allow child labor, and weaken unions. Many people omit that during the Biden Presidency, more jobs have been created than any other President in a single term, wages are growing, and we have a long way to go to fight for more real change too.
There is more information about my 3rd cousin Benjamin Frank Barrett Sr. (1947-2014) that I didn’t know about until recently. We share the same ancestor of my 4th great-grandmother Sarah Claud. The daughter of Sarah Claud was Susanna Sarah M. Hill (b. 1867). The daughter of Susanna Sarah M. Hill was Sarah B. Gooden (1887-1997), the daughter of Sarah B. Gooden was Dotsie Lee Barrett (1908-2008), and the son of Dotsie Lee Barrett was Benjamin Frank Barrett Sr. 1947-2014). Benjamin Frank Barrett’s father was Augustus McNeil. He lived in Hampton, Virginia for many years. He attended public schools in Newport News, Virginia, graduating from Carver High School in 1966. He loved cars, loved to play pool, talked with his family and friends, and loved to cook food like homemade rolls. He lived in Brooklyn, New York for years too. His children with Mary Louise Mills (b. 1949) are Benjamin Frank Barrett Jr. (b. 1968. His wife is named Michelle), Terethia Denai Barrett (b. 1970), and James Anthony Barrett (b. 1972. His wife is Angela Marci Bowles, who was born in 1973). His children with Charlotte Taylor are Jerome B. Barrett (1979-2014. He dated a woman named Tiffany) and Timothy Barrett. His child with Sharon Harris is James Harris. Benjamin Frank Barrett Sr. had 31 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Benjamin Frank Barrett Sr.’s grandchildren are: Jaysaun, Jayron, Jayvaun, Jaymara, Charity, Corina, Chareese, DeMonte, Abeni, Tyrik, Remy, Hassaun, Benjamin III "Tre", Cynise, RaKiah, Rodrique, Mychael, Janaye, Jaelyn, Mycah, Deborah, Alexis, Thomas, Kevin, Kahsandrah, Kenajah, Krystal, Jayden, Melanie, Terrance, and Sierra. Benjamin Frank Barrett Sr.’s great-grand children are: Demarcus, Kanaje, Nevaeh, Aliyah, Bentlee, William, Arie, David, Tyson, Kayden, Nasir, and Noelle.
I found out recently in early April of 2024 that Karen Cecelia Liggins Thompson (b. 1949) is my 4th cousin as we are descendants of my 6th great-grandparents of Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791). Karen Liggins Thompson was born on March 31, 1949, at Norfolk, Virginia. She has lived in Portsmouth, Virginia and now lives in California. She once married Ernest Alexander Brower (b. 1944), and her child is Kyle Dexter Liggins (b. 1966). Her last husband was Leonard J. Thompson Junior. Leonard J. Thompson Jr. lived in Spring Valley, California for a long time. He was born and raised in the Midwest at Joplin, Missouri. He was the oldest son of 8 children and his parents were Cozetta Berry Thompson and Leonard J. Thompson Sr. Leonard J. Thompson Jr. worked on many jobs and was part of the Navy. He organized the first Softball Team and was stationed at the USS Dixon in San Diego, California. He was the District Manager of over 9 gas stations for the USA Petroleum Corporation. He married Karen Cecelia Liggins for 52 years. Karen Liggins Thompson’s parents were Cessar Harding Liggins (b. 1922) and Romine Sallie Peterson (b. 1921). Cessar Liggins and Romine Sallie Peterson’s other children (including Karen Liggins) are: Marilyn P. Liggins (b. 1940), Victor Barton Liggins (b. 1952), and Joslyn Erdine Liggins (b. 1956). Josyln Erdine Liggins once married Robert M. Harris (b. 1949), she married Chris Winslow Davis (b. 1956), and her current husband is Jimmy Lavelle Collins. Josyln Erdine Liggins’s daughter with Chris Winslow Davis is Lauren Kimberly Davis (b. 1986). My 3rd cousin Romine Sallie Peterson’s parents were James Edward Peterson (1885-1945) and Rosa W. Peterson (1887-1966). Rosa W. Peterson’s parents were Mary L. Williams (1855-1905) and Eddie Drew Kello (1851-1922). Mary L. Williams’s parents were John Burwell Williams (b. 1815) and Mary Williams (b. 1832). John Burwell Williams’s parents were Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791).
By Timothy
Tuesday, April 09, 2024
Monday, April 08, 2024
Early April 2024 Cultural Updates.
Country music is like a river. It expands into different streams and in various locations, but it has the same origin. Country music was invented in America with influences from African people, Europeans, and other groups of people. By the 17th century, Europeans and Africans had folktales, folk songs, and instruments (like the banjo that came from Africa), and Indigenous people had their own folkways too. Folkways continued to exist in the 18th century. By the 19th century, folk music changed. As diverse people traveled, the folk music with instruments from Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean Basin developed into Appalachian music. America expanded rapidly throughout the North American continent via trade, expansion, and controversy (as tons of American expansion was done by theft, colonialism, and violations of treaties with Native Americans). Folk music traveled westward into the Mississippi River and Louisiana. These areas were a place of massive country music, and these places gave rise to Cajun music. In the Southwestern United States, it was the Rocky Mountains, American frontier, and Rio Grande that acted as a similar backdrop for Native American, Mexican, and cowboy ballads, which resulted in New Mexico music and the development of Western music, and it is directly related to Red Dirt, Texas country, and Tejano music styles. In the Asia-Pacific, the steel guitar sound of country music has its provenance in the music of Hawaii. By the late 1800's and early 1900's, opera, gospel, and folk music were common genres of American society. The Fisk Jubilee Singers was singing Swing Low Sweet Chariot by 1909, and the folklorist Cecil Sharp publishing his study of English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians back in 1917. Modern-day country music as we know it is found in the South, and according to the U.S. Congress, it formally recognized Bristol, Tennessee as the Birthplace of Country Music. That is based on the historic Bristol recording sessions of 1927. Yet, there were recordings of country music artists before 1927. For example, the Victor and Okeh recording companies begin recording the first country music artists. Fiddler Eck Robertson records "Arkansas Traveler" and "Sallie Gooden" for Victor Records, becoming the first pure country music artist to make a recording. This was in 1922. In 1924, the WLS Radio in Chicago introduced the National Barn Dance on April 19, 1924.
Cowboy Songs is recorded by Victor Records in August 1925 by Carl T. Sprague. "When the Work's All Done This Fall" became a hit in 1925. By 1927, Ralph Peer of Victor Records began recording a local family act, The Carter Family, in Bristol, Tennessee. A. P. Carter, his wife, Sara, and sister-in-law Maybelle made more than 250 recordings in the next 14 years. The Singing Brakeman, Jimmie Rodgers, is also discovered at Bristol. In addition, the Mountain City Fiddlers Convention, held in 1925, helped to inspire modern country music. Before these, pioneer settlers, in the Great Smoky Mountains region, had developed a rich musical heritage. This era of the 1920's was the first generation of modern-day country music. Music in Atlanta had artists like James Gideon "Gid" Tanner. He had a band called The Skillet Lickers that presented innovative and influential music in string bands of the 1920's and the 1930's.
It has been one hundred and ten years since World War I started. Some people underestimate the legacy and influence of World War One. There is no WWII without World War One. Also, World War One was the first international war of the 20st century that expanded military technology, caused the end of the Ottoman Empire, and was just before the Great Depression globally. It lasted for over 4 years with millions of people who lost their lives. World War One also was a war that dealt with complex alliances. The war had the Allied Powers (filled with France, the UK, America, Italy, Japan, Russia for a time, and other nations) vs. the Central Powers (filled with Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire Bulgaria, and other nations). This war didn't just commence in Europe, but it spread into Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The war started after one event which was the June 28, 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Bosnian Serbian man Gavriolo Princip. This war signified the start of the end of many authoritarian monarchies and empires having huge economic and political power in the world. After the Russian October Revolution in 1917 by the Bolsheviks, Russia made peace with the Central Powers in early 1918. The war had a stalemate for years with a massive German offensive in March 1918. The Central Powers were defeated by a successful Allied counter-offensive in 1918 causing a collapse of the German frontline. Tanks, airplanes, biological warfare, and machine guns were utilized in the war. The Armistice of November 11, 1918, the Treaty of Versailles, and the Paris Peace Conference ended World War One. Yet, the weaknesses of the League of Nations contributed to World War II, which started in September 1939. Therefore, World War One was one of the most destructive conflicts in human history that should be analyzed, so lessons can be learned.
When did video games start? Video games started by scientists using research projects. By 1952, British professor A.S. Douglas created OXO. This was known as noughts and crosses or a tic-tac-toe game. It was part of his doctoral dissertation at the University of Cambridge. In 1958, William Higinbotham created "Tennis for Two" on a large analog computer. He connected the oscilloscope screen for the annual visitor's day at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. In 1962, Steve Russell at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology invented Spacewar!, a computer-based space combat video game for the PDP-1 (Programmed Data Processor-1), then a cutting-edge computer mostly found at universities. It was the first video game that could be played on multiple computer installations. Later, we saw a new era being the start of the creation of the home console. In 1967, developers at Sanders Associates, Inc., led by Ralph Baer, invented a prototype multiplayer, multi-program video game system that could be played on a television. It was known as “The Brown Box.”
Baer, who’s sometimes referred to as Father of Video Games, licensed his device to Magnavox, which sold the system to consumers as the Odyssey, the first video game home console, in 1972. Over the next few years, the old school Odyssey console would commercially fizzle and die out. Yet, one of the Odyssey’s 28 games was the inspiration for Atari’s Pong, the first arcade video game, which the company released in 1972. In 1975, Atari released a home version of Pong, which was as successful as its arcade counterpart. Magnavox, along with Sanders Associates, would later sue Atari for copyright infringement. They settled and became an Odyssey license for over the next 20 years. Magnavox went on to win more than $100 million in copyright lawsuits related to the Odyssey and its video game patents. In 1977, Atari released the Atari 2600 or the Video Computer System). Atari 2600 is a home console that featured joysticks and interchangeable game cartridges that played multi-colored games, effectively kicking off the second generation of video game consoles. By the late 1970's and the early 1980's, more innovations existed in video games. There was the release of Space Invaders arcade game in 1979, there is the launch of Activision, the first third-party game developer (which develops software without making consoles or arcade cabinets), in 1979, and Pac was introduced in America (it was huge in Japan previously). Nintendo created Donkey Kong, which introduced the world to the character of Mario. Microsoft's release of its first Flight Simulator game.
There was the crash of the North American video game industry in 1983 because of many reasons. The reasons for this reality were that there was an oversaturated game console market, competition from computer gaming, and a surplus of over-hyped, low-quality games, such as the infamous E.T., an Atari game based on the eponymous movie. Many people didn't like that video game. There was a bankruptcy of many home computer and video game console companies. The video game home industry began to recover in 1985 when the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), called Famicom in Japan, came to the United States. The NES had improved 8-bit graphics, colors, sound and gameplay over previous consoles.
Nintendo, a Japanese company that began as a playing card manufacturer in 1889, released several important video game franchises still around today, such as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid. Additionally, Nintendo imposed various regulations on third-party games developed for its system, helping to combat rushed, low-quality software. Third-party developers released many other long-lasting franchises, such as Capcom’s Mega Man, Konami’s Castlevania, Square’s Final Fantasy, and Enix’s Dragon Quest (Square and Enix would later merge to form Square Enix in 2003). In 1989, Nintendo made waves again by popularizing handheld gaming with the release of its 8-bit Game Boy video game device and the often-bundled game Tetris. Over the next 25 years, Nintendo would release some successful successors to the Game Boy, including the Game Boy Color in 1998, Nintendo DS in 2004, and Nintendo 3DS in 2011.
It is also important to acknowledge the hero Sister Ella Fitzgerald. She was born in Newport News, Virginia, which is in the 757. 757 is in the house as that is where I'm from. She was a famous jazz singer. Her scat singing was innovative and creative. She was in movies and television shows. She listened to jazz music from Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, and the Boswell Sisters. Fitzgerald performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, and Timme Rosenkrantz. She won many awards and had numerous achievements. People of every background and from every political spectrum loved her. They not only loved her talent. They loved her down-to-earth personality and her charisma. Fitzgerald was a civil rights activist; using her talent to break racial barriers across the nation. She was awarded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Equal Justice Award and the American Black Achievement Award. In 1993, Fitzgerald established the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation focusing on charitable grants for four major categories: academic opportunities for children, music education, basic care needs for the less fortunate, medical research revolving around diabetes, heart disease, and vision impairment. She has 13 Grammys. Her goals were to give back and provide opportunities for those "at risk" and less fortunate. In addition, she supported several nonprofit organizations like the American Heart Association, City of Hope, and the Retina Foundation. Ella Fitzgerald was a champion to our community. Rest in Power Sister Ella Fitzgerald.
The 96th Academy Awards took place on March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It was a historic award with many new winners and repeat winners. There were 23 categories being awarded that involved films and documentaries released in 2023. The Comedian and television host Jimm Kimmel hosted the show for the fourth time. The nominees for the 96th Academy Awards were announced on January 23, 2024, by actors Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The cultural phenomenon of "Barbenheimer" received a total of twenty-one nominations (eight for Barbie and thirteen for Oppenheimer). The two films competed against each other in six categories, including Best Picture. Christopher Nolan won Best Director. Best Actor was won by Cillian Murphy. Best Actress was won by Emma Stone. Robert Downey Jr. won Best Supporting Actor. This was his first Oscar after decades of handwork. Da'Vine Joy Randolph won Best Supporting Actress. She gave an inspiring, poignant speech about accepting herself and not following illogical beauty standards when beauty is very diverse, not monolithic. Justine Triet and Arthur Harari won Best Original Screenplay Writers. Mstyslav Chernov won Best Documentary Film co-winner, Jonathan Glazer won Best International Feature Film winner, and the Best Animated Feature winners are Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki. The Oscar winners of Best Original Song winners are Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell. Wes Anderson won Best Live Action Short co-winner, and Ludwig Goransson won Best Original Score winner. The Best Picture film was won by Oppenheimer. The Best Adapted Screenplay was won involving American Fiction with Cord Jefferson. The Best Documentary Feature Film was 20 Days in Mariupol (with Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, and Raney Aronson-Rath). The Best Documentary Short Film was The Last Repair Shop with Ben Prodfoot and Kris Bowers. the Best Live Action Short Film was won by The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and the Best Animated Short Film was won by War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko. The Best Original Score was Oppenheimer by Ludwig Goransson. The Best Visual Effects was won by Godzilla Minus One – Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, and Tatsuji Nojima. The Academy Honorary Awards was won by Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks, and Carol Littleton. The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award was won by Michelle Satter.
There are tons of black icons of classical music from the Medieval Age, the 1700's, and beyond to the present. One legend was Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de SAINT Georges. His life has been popularized in the 2022 film called Chevalier (starring Kevin Harrison). Joseph Bologne was an Afro-French violinist, conductor, composer, and soldiers who lived from December 25, 1745, to June 9, 1799. He was a great athlete being a fencer and dancer. He was born in Guadeloupe in the West Indies. He was the first classical composer of African descent to attain widespread acclaim in classical music in Europe. He composed an array of violin concertos, string quartets, sinfonia concertantes, violin duets, sonatas, two symphonies and an assortment of stage works, notably opéra comique. Following the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, Saint-Georges left for England. Upon his return to France, he joined the National Guard in Lille and then served as a colonel in the Légion St.-Georges, which comprised "citizens of color." His social and professional ties to prominent figures such as Marie Antoinette and the Duke of Orléans made him a target of the Reign of Terror, culminating in a period of imprisonment spanning at least eleven months. Saint-Georges passed Brissot's request to the British abolitionists, and they complied by translating their publications into French for his fledgling Société des amis des Noirs. There was the artist Thomas Wiggins, William Grant, Maria Corley, and other people. Florence Price (who lived from 1887 to 1953. She was influenced by Dvoarak, Tchaikovsky, and other European Romantic composers) was the first African American woman to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra – in 1933. A music critic from the Chicago Daily News heard the work, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and declared it “a faultless work, a work that speaks its own message with restraint and yet with passion… worthy of a place in the regular symphonic repertoire.” Scott Joplin, George Bridgetower, Margaret Bonds (who worked with poet Langston Hughes to celebrate African American culture), Samuel Coleridge-Taylor worked hard in classical music too.
Majestic, talented, and determined are accurate descriptions to outline her life spanning eighty years. Diana Ross went from the projects of Detroit, Michigan to be one of the most iconic artists of all time. She influenced every musician of the 21st century directly or indirectly without question. She was born in the Midwestern city of Detroit, Michigan. She was born to Ernestine Ross and Fred Ross Sr. She was the 2nd to six children. Dian Ross grew up in the North End section of Detroit and in Brewster Douglas Housing Projects in Detroit when she was a teenager. Diana Ross was raised Baptist. She attended Cass Technical High School, a four-year college and preparatory magnet school in downtown Detroit. She wanted to be a fashion designer. Diana Ross graduated from Cass Tech in January 1962. From 1959 to 1970, she was in The Supremes as a group member. Back in 1959, they were the Primettes. She worked with the Primes. The Supremes worked hard to promote their songs globally. They helped to make Motown one of the greatest music empires in history. The Supremes once had Barbara Martin. We know about Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson. The Supremes was the most successful group of Motown during the 1960's. They had hits like Baby Love, Where Did Our Love Go, Come See About Me, Stop! in the Name of Love, and Love Child. The Supremes had music about love, relationships, and togetherness. Later, Diana Ross established her own solo career. I'm Still Waiting, was a great song too. Her first American solo hit was Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand. Everything is Everything from 1970 was her second solo album. She was in movies like Ladies Sings the Blues (about Billie Holiday) and Mahogany. She made more hits like Love Hangover, Upside Down, Endless Love (in 1981 with Lionel Richie), and Chain Reaction. She was in The Wiz with her friend Michael Jackson. By 1976, Diana Ross was called by Billboard as the Woman Entertainer of the Century. She earned a Special Tony Award in 1977, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and in 2013. She earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. Many of her children are actress and musicians like Tracee Ellis Ross and Evan. Diana Ross has seven grandchildren. Diana Ross has influenced Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Brandy, Ting Tings, Ledisi, Questlove, and other people. In 1999, she was in the movie Double Platinum with Brandy Norwood. Thank You was her 25th studio album which was released in November of 2021 during the pandemic. She made music and tours as recently as October of 2023. She loves all of her five children.
By Timothy
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